Night Terrors
by Torchwood Tea Girl
Summary: Something is attacking innocent people and leaving them for dead with nothing but two bite marks on their necks. It's up to Torchwood to prevent any more deaths, but things become complicated when a member of the team is also attacked. Janto
1. Chapter 1

Hi there. Torchwood Tea Girl here, although TTG or Jenny are fine also. Well, fanfiction . net have finally let me upload my first Torchwood story. Couldn't think of a more imaginative title, so Night Terrors will have to do. I hate coming up with titles. Anyway, onward and upward!

Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood or anything associated with Torchwood although I am getting series one and two for Christmas (I hope!).

* * *

As Captain Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper approached the site of the murder, the crowd of policemen immediately divided in front of them. The faces of Torchwood had long since been established by the Cardiff police department, leading to a lack of questions whenever the black jeep pulled up at a crime scene.

Ducking under the police tape, the pair carefully inspected the body that lay upon the grassy floor. Blood covered the torso of the poor teenaged boy whose eyes were open and blank, staring forever at the night sky above.

Jack knelt down and gently cupped the boy's head in his hands and tipped it to one side. This revealed the only wounds on the whole of the boy's body; a pair of tiny punctures on the neck, just below the left ear.

"Not another one," Gwen said with a sigh as she watched Jack from above. "That makes three this week."

Nodding, Jack replaced the boy's head against the ground and stood up. A look of worry covered his face as he looked out into the darkness of the woods around them, just in case something was still there.

"This isn't good," he finally said, looking back down at the boy.

"What do you think it is?" Gwen asked, gazing at the team's leader.

"Can't say for sure," was the swift reply. "I want to have a good look at this one though. Maybe there's something we missed."

He turned on his heels and waltzed over to one of the policemen who had been watching the scene curiously. Turning on the Captain Jack charm, he asked with a broad grin, "Have you had any luck identifying the body yet?"

"No," the policeman answered, looking a little flustered under the older man's penetrating gaze. "No luck at all, sir."

"Then I guess you won't mind if we keep this one. For investigative purposes only, of course."

"Of course," the man forced out, seemingly unable to find any reason to question the Captain's request.

"Good," said Jack, patting the policeman lightly on the back. "Excellent job, by the way."

Winking, Jack left the poor man to stand blushing in the dark field. He shrugged his shoulders cheekily when he saw the look that Gwen was giving him, but at least he'd managed to secure the body.

"Alright, Ianto. We're coming home."

???

"Yes, sir," Ianto Jones replied as Jack's voice could be heard though the communication device wrapped around his ear. "I'll have everything ready for your return."

He had to admit, he was slightly jealous. He knew that the Torchwood Hub had to be watched in case of a sudden flux in the Rift, but did that mean that Jack always had to take Gwen with him on field work? Although the Hub was like a second home to him, he certainly spent enough time in it, Ianto was starting to get a little bored of the same setting everyday. He'd have to make a special request for more time outside when Jack returned.

Until then, he decided to keep himself busy. He quickly and efficiently tidied away the remains of their take away dinner and placed any dirty dishes into the sink to soak. The dissection table was ready and waiting. Ianto hated spending too much time in Owen's old workspace, just like he did whenever he found himself in front of Tosh's computer. Jack and Gwen were exactly the same, but they didn't spend as much time in the Hub as he did. They didn't end up fighting back their emotions and tears in the dead of night after finding a discarded mug or note from their former colleagues and friends.

Shaking his head as though to shake the sad memories away, Ianto snapped back into action, his usual emotionless mask back in place even if he was the only one to see it.

By the time the rest of the team had arrived, he had a mug of steaming coffee ready for both of them. He'd even readied the relevant papers for when they had to explain this latest death in a long line of unexplainable deaths.

As Jack walked into the Hub with the body of a young boy, he gave Ianto a small smile, which the Welshman returned, before placing the body on the table in the autopsy room.

"Thanks, Ianto. You're a life saver," Jack said, gratefully accepting the hot beverage and taking a brief sip. "Excellent as always."

"You're too kind, sir," Ianto replied, handing the other mug to Gwen who'd followed Jack in.

"So, who's gonna do the honours?" she asked as she stood by the boy's head, her arms folded across her chest.

Jack shook his head. "There's no point opening him up. None of us would know what we're doing."

A silence fell over them as they thought about the snide comment a certain doctor would have made in agreement with Jack.

"We know the cause of death anyway," Jack continued, moving the boy's head once more to reveal the two tiny marks on his neck. "Same as the other two. Blood loss after the severing of the jugular vein. Though, we're still no closer to determining what did this."

"I still say its vampires," Gwen piped up.

"And I still say that's bordering on the ridiculous," Ianto argued.

"But it's not completely dismissible," Jack countered with a frown. "There's no smoke without fire, after all. With so many alien life forms in this universe, the odds are that one is vampire-like."

Gwen and Ianto nodded at Jack's point, but Ianto still didn't look convinced.

"I'll have another look on the database," he suggested, already heading back up the stairs to the workstations. "I might have missed something."

"Ianto Jones missing some information? I think hell would freeze over before that happened," quipped Jack with his usual school boy grin.

Gwen laughed in agreement as Ianto vanished from sight above them.

"Do you really think it could be vampires?" she asked Jack, turning back to him. "I was only joking."

"I really don't know, but as the bites are the only marks on the victims' bodies it's the only lead we have."

Nodding, Gwen stifled a long yawn, blinking beadily at Jack afterwards.

"If you don't need me for anything else, I think I'll head home. Rhys will be wondering where I am," she said, quickly stifling another yawn.

"Don't worry. We'll finish up here," Jack replied, patting her on the back. "Get some sleep. See you tomorrow."

He watched as Gwen wearily collected her things together and left through the main door. It was only when the Hub was sealed and the alarms bells had stopped that Jack returned where the work stations were to find Ianto.

True to his word, the youngest member of the team was sitting at one of the computers, tirelessly searching through the massive Torchwood database for anything that might help their investigation.

"Any joy?" Jack asked, stopping behind Ianto's chair with his hands resting on the younger man's shoulders.

"Some," Ianto replied, keeping his eyes on the screen. "There have been cases of vampire-like creatures in the Torchwood archive, but there's nothing substantial. No real information. Only links to fictional occurrences, such as Dracula."

"Well, I'd call that information. Who's to say that books such as Dracula weren't based on actual meetings with vampires that were merely covered up and claimed to be hoaxes."

"If you say so, sir."

"Ianto, what I have said about this 'sir' business?" Jack commented with his usual charming smile.

"Sorry, sir…Jack. Old habits," responded Ianto, turning slightly to smile sheepishly up at the Captain.

"What does it say then?"

Turning back, Ianto clicked on the link and scrolled down a website dedicated to ghosts, zombies, vampires and everything remotely gothic.

"There are a lot of different beliefs, but they all seem to centre around specific things. If you get bitten you become a half-vampire and develop a craving and dependency on blood. By drinking the blood of another the transformation is complete and the victim will forever be a vampire. They're not fond of garlic, holy water or crosses. They can be killed by putting a steak through or essentially destroying the heart. Destroy the 'head' vampire and the rest will be destroyed while any half-vampires will return to their human form. Pretty basic stuff."

"Good work, Ianto," Jack praised while rubbing his hands in anticipation. "Now that we've got all the information we need I think it's time we went back to your flat and discussed your…job description."

Standing up, Ianto gave Jack a small smile as he straightened out his jacket and tie.

"Is that what we're calling now?" he asked, watching intently as the older man leaned forward until their faces were almost touching.

"You can call it whatever you like, Ianto," Jack replied, his breath warm on Ianto's cheek. "As long as it gets you into bed with me."

Their lips met in an instant as they pressed their bodies against each other. Jack's hands reached up to gently caress Ianto's hair who, in turn, wrapped his arms around Jack's waist. In the dim light of the Hub, their silhouettes merged together until they looked like one person.

Ianto was to first to pull back, licking his lips in a tempting way that he knew would drive Jack wild.

"Why'd you stop?" Jack asked, his hands still entangled in Ianto's dark locks.

Simply smiling, Ianto removed Jack's hands, kissing them both before letting them go.

"I wanted to leave you with just a taster of tonight," he whispered, his voice becoming husky. "I'll meet you at my place. I've just got to make sure everything is secure here first."

Jack laughed slightly at this.

"Ianto Jones. Professional first and foremost. Alright, see you soon, but don't make me wait too long."

Nodding, Ianto set about switching off the computers as Jack walked away. He quickly turned to watch as the Captain disappeared behind the huge, circular door, a smile once again playing on his lips.

He quickly did everything that needed to be done; turning off lights and machines that would just waste energy, making sure the rubbish had been tidied up, and putting away any mugs and dishes that had been left by the kitchen sink. It was only when he went to grab his coat that he realised the body of the young boy had been left on the table in the autopsy room. Cursing at Jack's distraction for making him forget such a crucial item on his to-do list, he went to check that nothing had happened to it. He'd have to put in the morgue the next day with Jack's help.

When he reached the top of the stairs, however, he was shocked to find that the body had vanished. All that remained was the pool of red blood that seemed so bright on the white tiled floor.

Confusion and worry flooded through Ianto. Had one of the alien escaped from the prison cells and had moved the body? Was someone else here with him in the Hub? He slowly pulled his gun out from inside his jacket and held it in front of him.

Movement from somewhere behind him caused his to spin and face the other way, but he couldn't see anyone there. Slowly, he began to creep across the floor towards the computers, his eyes darting all around him, searching for movement, but failing to find any. He reached the chair he'd been sat on not long ago and tapped the comm. device in his ear.

Before he could even say a word, he was tackled around the waist from behind as something pulled him down to the ground.

Ianto struggled under the weight of another body on top of his, desperate to throw it off of him. He soon realised he wasn't strong enough and was easily flipped over by the attacker so that they were face to face.

The previously dead boy stared down at him. His eyes were red and wild, his mouth curved up into a vicious and hungry grin. Before Ianto could do anything, the boy had lunged forward and ripped into the skin around Ianto's neck.

Crying out in agony, Ianto felt the warmth of his own blood as it began to spill forth from the wound, but it was quickly lapped up by the boy. Dizziness came too soon as the boy continued to feed off of him, draining him of energy and life until Ianto's eyes closed and his mind fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

Excellent! Chapter one, done. This is the first of a four chapter story just to let you know. I know, lazy me, can't be bothered writing any more than that, but that's just where the story ends for me. Either way, please review so I know you all liked the first chapter and chapter two will be up later this week hopefully.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for everyone who took the time read and review my quaint little story. I'm so pleased with all the positive feedback. And so, without further delay, chapter two for your viewing pleasure.

Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood, but if I did the things I'd have Jack and Ianto do would probably get it banned from the BBC. So, maybe it's a good thing I don't own it after all.

* * *

"Ianto? What is taking you so damn long?"

Jack gazed around the Hub with a very displeased look upon his face. He'd been waiting in Ianto's flat for an hour already and his patience had already worn away. Deciding to return to the Hub as he couldn't quite shake off the feeling that something was wrong, he made his way over as fast as he could.

"Ianto, where are you?" he called out, his eyes seeking out the familiar figure in amongst the equipment all around him. "It's late. Whatever you're doing, just do it tomorrow."

He wandered into Ianto's usual work places; the kitchen, his desk, Jack's own office, but couldn't see the man anywhere. He was just about to go search the tourist office that disguised the Torchwood entrance when he saw something that made him pause.

The body of the dead boy had vanished. Leaning over the railings above the autopsy room, Jack checked to see if it had maybe fallen onto the floor, but there was no sign of it. Deciding that Ianto had probably already placed it in the morgue, he turned and headed for the door with his thoughts back on Ianto.

With one last sweep on the control room, Jack started to leave, but was stopped once more by a peculiar sight. There was a shoe on the floor by the computers. A shiny black shoe. Curiosity incited his interest as he went to take a closer took. It wasn't surprising that he didn't see it before. The shoe was half hidden beneath a desk as though it had been absentmindedly kicked there.

Jack bent down to pick it up, recognising it as Ianto's before he'd even touched it. Only Ianto wore shoes as smart and perfectly polished as this. With his hand hovering over the shoe, Jack caught sight of something else that made his blood run cold. Something else that was also hidden under the desk.

"Ianto? Oh, shit! Ianto! Can you hear me?"

Working fast, he knelt under the desk and pulled the unconscious man out from under it. Leaning Ianto against his own chest, Jack stared hopelessly down at his friend's face.

Deathly pale and barely breathing, Ianto looked a wreck. His eyes were sunken into his face and were surrounded by dark rings. His hair was damp with sweat as was his face and hands. Blood stained his usually impeccably clean white shirt.

Forcing himself to look, Jack tipped Ianto's lolling head to one side and heard himself emit a tiny moan when he saw the now familiar bite marks.

"Oh, Ianto," he whispered, his voice sticking in his throat as he pulled the man closer to his chest. "How could I let this happen to you?"

Silently, Jack leaned down and gently kissed Ianto's pale lips.

"Sir?" someone said a very croaky voice.

Jack almost leapt up in fright. When he realised who had said it and noticed the pair of dark blue eyes wearily staring up at him, he immediately pulled Ianto into a tight embrace.

"I thought I'd lost you. You're safe, thank God you're safe."

"It'll take more than that to kill me, sir," Ianto replied, attempting a smile while pulling himself into a more comfortable position on Jack's lap.

"Don't move," Jack instructed sternly. "You're too weak."

In one motion, Jack had Ianto cradled in his arms and was carrying him to his own sleeping quarters. There was a brief struggle in carrying him down the steps, but soon Jack was placing the younger man on his bed before pulling over a chair to sit on.

"Jack Harkness' bed. And here I was thinking that it was reserved for special occasions," Ianto joked as he leant back against the soft pillows. "I'm honoured."

"So, you should be. Not many people are lucky enough to wind up in here," replied Jack humorously, but the worry on his face told Ianto that the Captain wasn't really in the mood to joke. "What happened, Ianto?"

Ianto suddenly looked away, reluctant to meet Jack's intense gaze. A haunted look crossed his face as he went over the events of the night in his mind. He could still feel the heat of his own blood, scorching a trail across his chest and back. Whenever he closed his eyes he could see the red gleam of the young boy's pupils that watched him with such vicious glee.

"The boy, the one you and Gwen brought in earlier, wasn't dead. He attacked me, bit my neck, drank my blood and left me for dead."

"Ianto," Jack murmured, attempting to comfort the clearly traumatised man. "My poor Ianto."

He clasped Ianto's hand in his, squeezing it ever so gently. Their eyes met again and pangs of pain shot through Jack's heart when he saw tears flowing down the Welshman's cheeks, a truly lost look on his face. He was about to pull Ianto closer, wanting to enclose him in another warm embrace and take away all of his pain, when the younger man suddenly jerked back, tugging his hand away as he did.

Ianto's eyes were wide as he stared down at his hands, shaking all over. He looked at himself as if he'd only just realised something. Splotches of blood coloured his hands, dying them a sickening red. Slowly, he reached up and touched the two marks on his neck, the only thing left after being attacked.

"Oh God! Oh God, Jack!" he began to cry, fearfully scratching at his hands trying to get the blood off.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, although he had a good idea of what was coming.

"It bit me, Jack!" Ianto yelled, inching away from him across the bed. "I'm one of them now, aren't I?"

Not saying anything, Jack averted his gaze, unable to cope with the pain in Ianto's voice.

"Aren't I?" demanded Ianto, desperate for a clear answer.

"Yes," said Jack quietly.

Ianto fell back against the bed, his mind reeling in his fearful state. He couldn't comprehend what was happening. Sure, he knew the risks when he joined the Torchwood team, but he never imagined that anything would actually happen to him. Not so soon. Not with Jack to protect him.

"It'll be alright," Jack continued softly, but he was immediately interrupted.

"Alright? How will it be alright, Jack? I'm a fucking vampire!" replied Ianto, his voice filled with anxiety. "What the hell am I gonna do?"

"Just calm down," said Jack, finally daring enough to meet Ianto's gaze. "I'll call Gwen. Get her in early and we'll find what did this to you. We'll kill it and you'll be fine. I promise."

"But what if I can't stop myself?" Ianto asked, leaning forward to grasp at the collar of Jack's coat. "What if I bite someone? What if I bite you? I can feel it, Jack. The hunger inside of me. I can feel it rising as if it's always been there."

Unable to think of anything else that might help, Jack closed the distance between their bodies and kissed Ianto again so that the younger man couldn't see the tears in the Captain's eyes. As they parted, they rested their foreheads against each other's, breathing together as one.

"I promise," repeated Jack in a whisper, his face set with grim severity as he pressed another kiss on Ianto's cheek. "I promise I'll protect you. You just sleep for now. You've been through enough today. Just sleep."

Ianto nodded reluctantly, the worry remaining in his blue eyes. He lay back down on the bed again as a dull ache began to rip through his weary body. Allowing Jack to tuck him under the bed covers like a mother would do to a child, he watched the older man retreat from the bedroom and vanished out of sight into the Hub. One final tear slowly slid down his pale face as he finally began to drift into a fitful sleep.

???

It was 9 o'clock that following morning when Gwen turned up at the Hub. She'd left home as soon as she'd received Jack's message when she woke up. As soon as she saw Jack's face, she knew something was seriously wrong.

"Jack? What happened?" she asked, rushing to his side. "I got your message. I would have been here sooner, but…where's Ianto?"

Jack didn't answer. He looked everywhere except at Gwen, unsure of what to tell her. She'd been so lost after losing Owen and Tosh that he didn't have the heart to tell her what had happened to Ianto.

"Jack, where's Ianto?" she asked again, this time more urgently.

"I'm here."

Both Jack and Gwen were startled as Ianto's head appeared through the manhole cover that concealed the entrance to Jack's room. He struggled up the last few steps, with Jack's help, and was soon seated in a chair to prevent any further strain to his body. His skin had attained some of its lost colour, but he was still covered in a light sheen of sweat.

"You should be resting," Jack told him with a stern look.

"I've rested enough," was Ianto's reply, his tone much harsher than usual.

"Is anyone gonna tell me what's going on? You were a bit lacking on the details in your message, Jack," Gwen asked, hands on hips. "What's happened to Ianto?"

"I'm a vampire," Ianto stated emotionlessly, his eyes fixed on the ground.

An uncomfortable silence surrounded them. Gwen didn't know what to say. Instead, she stared at the pair of them, her mouth slightly open.

"A…vampire," she finally muttered, trying to take in this peculiar fact. "Well, it would explain some things. Like all the late nights you put in here."

"It's not funny!" Ianto exclaiming, jumping up from the chair.

His eyes flashed red and his face was ablaze with anger. He was stopped from advancing on the frightened woman by Jack's arm, which he'd placed defensively between Ianto and Gwen.

"Ianto!" Jack warned, forcing the younger man back into his seat. "Calm down!"

"How am I supposed to be calm?" Ianto growled, but he said no more and instead took to staring at the ground again.

Jack turned back to Gwen and, pulling her aside, explained, "It was the boy we brought in. Turns out, you were right on the mark with vampires. Ianto was attacked last night."

"What are we supposed to do?" asked Gwen as she fearfully glanced at Ianto's slumped form.

"We find whatever caused this and destroy it," was Jack's quick reply. "If we can get rid of the 'head' vampire, then Ianto should return to normal. He's only a half-vampire now as he hasn't attacked anyone else yet. We can't let him become a true vampire or he'll die too if we kill the head vampire."

Gwen nodded and, without being asked, instantly headed over to the Rift Monitor to check for any recent activity, avoiding Ianto as she did.

Having spent most of the night researching cases of vampire sightings and checking websites for more information, Jack ran a shaky hand through his hair and returned to the computer he'd been working at. Files were open across the desks, their papers spilling out in a disorganised mess. Anything he found seemed to point back to what they already knew about vampires and anything new was of little value to them. He was going to ask Ianto whether he knew of anywhere else in the archives that might hold more information when he noticed that the Welshman had vanished.

"Ianto?" Jack called out anxiously.

Gwen looked up too, startled that Jack had lost sight of their new potential threat. She watched with concern as he got up to search for Ianto before returning to her work.

In wasn't long before Jack found Ianto standing in the kitchen preparing beverages for the three of them. Although he couldn't see Jack, he visibly stiffened when he felt the older man's presence behind him.

"Ianto, don't worry about tea and coffee," Jack said, placing a hand on Ianto's shoulder. "There are more pressing things to worry about at the moment."

"No, I have to," was Ianto's hurried reply as he stirred each mug in turn.

"And why do you have to?"

"Because then…then it'll be just like any other day. You doing your research, me making you coffee, and…everything will be normal. I just want everything to be normal again," said Ianto, his voice catching in his throat.

Jack watched him closely as he collected himself, put on what he thought was a cheerful grin and passed the Captain a mug.

"Here you go, sir. Sorry it's a little late."

Before Jack could respond, Ianto had already left to kitchen to give Gwen her morning coffee. But he could see how distraught the younger man was, increasing his overwhelming desire to return Ianto to the way he once was.

* * *

Gah! I feel so mean! Torturing Ianto goes against all may fangirl beliefs!

Anyway, I hoped you like chapter two. I'll try to update again as soon as I can. Ta ta for now.


	3. Chapter 3

Argh! I was gonna put a new chapter up earlier, but I didn't have time so here it is now! Either way, I have easy access to the internet again so hopefully things will be updated much quicker next time.

Anyway, chapter three. Here it is!

Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood. I should, but I don't.

* * *

Each member of the Torchwood team worked endlessly all day, searching for any unusual Rift readings, any sign of more vampire attacks, and anything else that could potentially save Ianto. But things weren't looking good.

Despite his efforts to help in any way he could, Ianto was beginning to look sicker and sicker. He wasn't moving around the Hub in the efficient way he usually did. He'd become slower in his actions, taking more breaks than normal to rest with his head in his hands.

Jack also noticed that Ianto had developed a tendency to watch Gwen or Jack himself while they were working with something akin to bloodlust in his eyes. This caused him to be ever more vigilant in keeping Ianto in his sights all day to prevent anymore disasters.

"It's no use!" Gwen finally cried, slamming her fists down on either side of her computer's keyboard. "There's nothing! No activity, no other remedies. There's nothing here!"

She looked over to where Ianto was sat, confined once more to a chair due to his worsening condition. Her heart went out to him. She'd never seen the poor man look as bad as she did now.

Sweat was dripping down his forehead and his breathing was heavy. His whole body looked so small and limp as he reclined back in his seat. As he looked up at her, she could see that he'd already given up.

"There has to be," Jack growled, refusing to stop.

He hadn't said a word all day as he dashed about in fierce concentration, determined not to take no for an answer.

"Jack," Ianto murmured.

Ianto had been silent all day too, although this wasn't that unusual for the generally private man. This was the first time he'd said anything since that morning. His voice was hoarse and as he sat up to address Jack he cringing in obvious pain.

"Jack, please just let it go," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "There's no hope for me. You won't find the head vampire in time."

"Don't talk like that," replied Jack, leaving his post by the computers to slowly approach Ianto. "We will find something. I made a promise to you."

"It doesn't matter…if you break your promise," Ianto gasping, finding it difficult to force the words through his dry throat. "I don't mind. Really, I don't. Just kill me now so I can't hurt anyone else. Please."

Both Jack and Gwen were shocked at their friend's words. They knew that was something they'd never willing do. Not if they still had some sliver of hope left.

"Please, Jack," Ianto continued, becoming tearful. "It hurts so much. The effort alone to not bite either of you is killing me anyway. Put me out of my misery."

"No," was Jack's firm answer.

Jumping up with a spurt of energy no one thought he was capable of in his state, Ianto lunged at Jack, grabbing onto the arms of the Captain for support. His eyes were gleaming red again and a look of hunger was clear on his face.

"Kill me, Jack!" he exclaimed, his face inches away from Jack's. "Kill me before I kill you!"

Jack, leaning forward so that his lips were right by Ianto's ear, simply repeated, "No."

Quivering with pent up rage that he'd been trying to subdue all day, Ianto pushed Jack away with enough force to send the older man crashing to the floor before he turned to Gwen. Without registering the pure fear radiating off of her, he grabbed for her neck with the same wild look the boy had given him last night.

Before he could even touch her, Jack was back on his feet and had pulled Ianto's arms behind his back. He didn't want to, it hurt him so much to do this, but with no other choice, he escorted a struggling Ianto away from Gwen and down to where the holding cells were.

"You can't lock me in here forever, Jack!" Ianto yelled, his back hitting the floor heavily as he was tossed into an empty cell.

Jack didn't reply. He closed and locked the cell door, watching the Welshman's every movement.

"I will get out, Jack!" Ianto snarled, crawling up the clear wall that separated the two men. "I will get out and I will kill you! I can't wait to taste your sweet, sweet blood as I suck the life out of you! And I'll make her watch! I'll make Gwen watch as I slowly kill you!"

In one quick movement, Jack had drawn his gun and held it pointed directly at Ianto's head despite the divide between them. His hands shook as he tried miserably to stare down the man in front of him, bringing a sick grin to Ianto's lips.

"Shut up," Jack said, his voice quivering.

"Do it, Jack. Kill me if you can!"

A manic laugh filled the cells as Ianto pressed his back against the cold, damp wall of his prison and watched Jack lower his weapon. With the gun still held tightly in his grip, the Torchwood captain bent down and placed his free hand against the tight plastic wall.

"What's happening to you, Ianto? I know you're changing into something different, something terrible, but where's the Ianto who wouldn't give up until I gave him a job? Where's the Ianto who did everything he could to save the woman he loved? Why have you given up so easily?"

Ianto's head flopped against the wall as if he didn't even have the will to hold it up any longer. All the anger that he'd shown before had vanished.

"I'm so weak. And I'm so tired. The hunger is consuming me, Jack. I can't…I can't keep fighting it any longer."

"Then try harder! Don't give up! You're gonna get through this."

When Ianto didn't respond, Jack got back to his feet and started towards the door. He willed himself not to look back at Ianto's broken form, knowing that if he did he wouldn't be able to leave the Welshman's side again.

"Jack?" Gwen asked, her voice sounding clearly through his ear piece. "I've just had a call from the police station. Someone's been attacked at a farm just outside the city, another bite victim. Only, there have been reports of giant bats in that area as well. I think we've found them, Jack."

Sighing with immense relief, Jack told Gwen he'd be up in a moment. He peered over his shoulder so he could just see Ianto's body slumped on the floor. His breath caught in his throat, but he managed a small smile as he asked, "You hear that, Ianto? We're gonna go destroy the creature that did this to you, and then we'll be right back. Okay?"

Once again, Ianto made no noise to show if he'd heard Jack or not, but his body seemed to relax a little. He shoulders weren't as tense as they were before and Jack was almost sure that he'd heard a quiet sob, hopefully out of happiness.

Jack raced up the stairs back into the Hub's control room, the bottom of his coat sweeping the floor as he did. He took Gwen's hand, who was excitedly bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited for him, and together they sped through the main door in a blur of lights and sirens.

???

Tears followed freely down Ianto's face, his face screwed up in pain. Clutching at his chest, he frantically gasped for breath. He took one last gurgling lungful of air before he collapsed on the ground, his eyes rolling up into his head. A lingering smile remained as he slipping into unconsciousness, finally looking at peace.

???

A bright red glow of a glorious sunset filled the sky over head as Jack and Gwen arrived at the farm in the Torchwood SUV. They hadn't realised how late it was until they'd sped away from the Hub and found Cardiff bathed in the light of evening. Jumping out of the large vehicle, they practically ran to where the group of policemen were standing, their usual decorum when near a crime scene forgotten.

"Gwen, check the body, then cuff him," Jack ordered, loud enough for her to hear, but not the policemen. "Make sure he can't escape should he decide to wake up. I'll go check out the area."

Nodding without objection, Gwen headed to the taped off area in the farm yard while Jack pulled out a torch and his gun before wandering into the darkness.

His whole body was on high alert, waiting for any sign of movement or any noise that may lead him to where the vampire-like aliens were hiding. The beam of light from his torch illuminated the large field around him, revealing a dense forest to his right and an old fashioned barn house not far ahead. Thinking that the barn would be a pretty cosy home for any hiding creature, human or alien, that was the first place he searched.

The barn door opened with a long, high pitched squeal, its hinges desperately needing a bit of oil. Jack winced at the noise, hoping it wouldn't disturb anything that might be inhabiting the old, wooden structure. He edged inside, pulling his gun out for protection, and scanned the interior.

Most of the barn was bathed in darkness except for a single sliver of light coming from Jack's torch and the glow of moon that shone through the open door. A few rats scampered out of sight when caught in the torch's bright beam, but other than that there was no sign of movement in amongst the farm tools, tractors and stacks of hay. The place looked like any normal barn.

Jack took a deep breath, knowing there was only one place that a group of vampires would hide if indeed they were here, and turned his torch upwards along with his gun. He froze as the stream of light revealed four humanoid figures, hanging upside down from the barn's rafters. None of them moved. Their eyes were closed in sleep and their bodies were hidden behind thick, dark cloaks that looked, from where Jack was standing, like giant wings.

Moving as quietly as possible, Jack crept across the dirt covered floor until he stood beneath the sleeping creatures. He quickly scoped each of the creatures out, trying to determine which one could possibly be the head vampire. The young boy they'd found the previous day was there as well as the other two that had been found earlier that week. Using the process of elimination, Jack determined that the fourth vampire had to be the one who'd started all this. He aimed his gun up at the sleeping creature and prepared to fire.

"Jack?"

A soft voice caused him to turn suddenly and he saw Gwen peer around the barn door. A rustling from above told him that he wasn't the only one who'd heard the Welshwoman. There was a clearly annoyed cry and a swooping noise before silence descended once more. Pointing his gun and torch upwards again, Jack took a nervous step towards the door and Gwen when he saw that the vampires had vanished from their perch.

"Gwen, get out of here. Go back to the SUV and wait for me there," he urgently whispered as he tried to vain to catch a glimpse of the creatures hiding in the darkness.

"I'm not leaving you here…" Gwen started, but she was swiftly interrupted.

"There is no way I'm letting them attack another of my team, Gwen. They can't hurt me, so go!"

For a moment it looked like Gwen wasn't going to move. Her face was set in a determined glare, but the desperation in Jack's voice made her nod, albeit reluctantly, and she disappeared behind the door.

Trying to keep himself calm against the tension that was building all around him, Jack waited in the centre of the barn until Gwen had closed the heavy wooden door. His only source of light was now the pitiful torch that did nothing to penetrate the suffocating darkness.

"Come out, come out, where ever you are," he taunted, trying to lure the creatures of the night out of their hiding places. "Let's see you make a meal out of me."

A screech from his left made him spin around in shock. The dead boy from the previous night lunged towards him from behind a tractor. Jack backed away quickly, his gun pointed at the boy's chest, aiming for his heart, but he had to duck to one side as another vampire appeared suddenly to his right.

In moments, three of the vampires had formed a small half-circle around Jack who suddenly found himself trapped against the barn wall. He tried to keep each of them all in his sights, his gun aimed at the one in the centre, but he knew he was badly outnumbered.

There was a hiss behind him and Jack didn't have to turn to know that the fourth vampire, the head vampire, had appeared out of the shadows at his side. He cringed as a pair of freezing cold hands gripped his shoulders.

'Now or never,' he thought to himself, waiting for the attack.

Sure enough, he felt the vampire's grip tighten and then there was a blinding pain in his neck like two burning needles puncturing his skin. Not wanting to waste a second, he pulled the trigger of his gun rapidly and three bullets pierced the hearts of the vampires surrounding him. They slumped ungracefully to the floor as he turned, pushing the distracted head vampire away.

"This one's for Ianto," he declared, staring down the clearly outraged vampire in front of him before shooting again.

With one final wail, the head vampire also crumpled to the ground, blood erupting from his chest. In moments, each of the vampires had turned to dust, their bodies crumbling until nothing was left.

Gasping, Jack tucked his gun away and checked the wound on his neck. Crimson blood stuck to his fingers, but he could already feel the bite marks healing on their own accord.

"Ianto!" he suddenly cried.

The image of the poor man slumped on the cell floor rushed back into his mind. He quickly heaved the barn door open and ran off into the oncoming night, hoping that he wasn't too late.

* * *

Will Ianto be alright? Has Jack killed the head vampire? All will be revealed in chapter four!

Also, the ending I have in mind has changed slightly so prepare yourself for an extra chapter after the next one, a wrapping up chapter of sorts. Read and review please!


	4. Chapter 4

Here ya go. Chapter four. Only one more to go after this so I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood, but if I did something would definitely have to happen to Ianto so that he was immortal like Jack. Oh yeah. Together for ever!

* * *

The ride back to the Hub was uncomfortably silent. Jack's hands were tightly clamped around the steering wheel, his knuckles a bright white against the blood that was still smeared across his fingers. His eyes never left the road as he expertly navigated his way through the winding streets of the city. The lack of traffic at such a late hour aided him in his speedy return to the Torchwood headquarters, but it did nothing to quell his anxiety.

Gwen nervously nibbled on her bottom lip, unsure of what to do. After seeing the blood on Jack's neck, she could only assume that he'd been bitten as well, but he showed no sign of turning into a vampire. She decided that as he was already immortal a bite from a vampire shouldn't really affect him. That didn't stop her worrying though.

Catching her reflection in the side view mirror, she silently cursed herself. How could she be so selfish? Here she was, fretting over whether Jack was going to suddenly turn around and kill her when Ianto was alone and probably terrified back at the Hub. Unless he was… No. She couldn't even bring herself to think of the possibility that Ianto was gone. This was no time to think like that. Anyway, she could see that there were no bite marks on Jack's neck. Just blood. He'd probably just caught himself on something. She was worrying over nothing.

She glanced at him. He hadn't said a word since they'd left the farm, which was understandable with what had happened to Ianto, but it still made Gwen feel uneasy. She just wished that he'd talk to her.

"Jack," she started, her voice sounding a lot quieter than she'd intended.

Without answering, Jack pulled the car to a halt and jumped out, leaving Gwen on her own. She hadn't even realised that they'd reached the Roald Dahl Plass until she caught sight of Jack sprinting towards the spot where the Torchwood's hidden lift was through the windscreen. Opening the car door, she pelted after him calling his name. She luckily managed to reach the lift, and Jack, before it descended with a jerk.

"Would you calm down?" she said, slightly out of breath. "Ianto will be fine. You killed the head vampire, right?"

Jack nodded, finally indicating that he could hear Gwen, but still didn't talk to her. However, as the inside of the Hub came into sight, she was sure that she heard him mutter under his breath, "I just hope we're not too late."

The lift clanged to a halt and Jack leap off instantly, already heading towards the cells and Ianto.

"Jack, wait!" Gwen cried, trying to keep up with his larger strides.

She rushed into the centre of the Hub just as Jack's coat tail vanished down one of the many corridors. She sighed and was about a follow him when she caught sight of a figure standing by the large cog-like security door. A high pitched shriek escaped her lips before she had a chance to stop it.

Hearing her, Jack skidded to a halt and cautiously returned to the entrance of the corridor, already drawing his gun. He poked his head around the corner and could easily see Gwen, but couldn't see who she was looking at. Whoever it was, it had stopped her in her tracks as though frozen.

"Who is it? What's wrong?" he asked, slowly approaching her, his weapon ready.

Gwen turned and looked back at Jack, her face streaked with tears and her mouth slightly open in shock. She looked like she'd seen a ghost. When Jack finally reached her, he pulled her into a one armed embrace and reluctantly looked at the thing that had upset her so much, fearing the worst.

Ianto was standing at the other side of the Hub, staring intently at them. He looked exactly like he had done when Jack had last seen him; sweating profusely, breathing heavily and shaking like a leaf. But something had changed. That mad gleam in his eyes was back and there was more blood on him than there had been before. In fact, the front of his shirt was completely drenched in blood. Whether it was his or someone else's, Jack couldn't tell.

"Oh God, Ianto," Jack breathed, unable to believe what he was seeing.

At the sound of Jack's voice, Ianto cocked his head to one side, studying the Captain's face as if he'd never seen it before. His lips parted as they curled up into an evil grin, his tongue darting out to lick his abnormally long canine teeth almost seductively.

"But you killed the head vampire! You said you killed it!" cried Gwen, struggling to accept the situation. "What's happened, Jack?"

"Yes, Jack. What has happened?" an unfamiliar voice asked, echoing all around them.

A woman emerged from the shadows behind Ianto, wandering over to him lazily as if she had nothing better to do. She draped a long, slender arm around Ianto, roughly pulling him close to her. Her body was perfect. Curves in all the right places, skin like porcelain, long silvery hair that glittered and shimmered down her back. A tight, strapless black dress hugged her like a second skin and gently swished against her ankles, just above her bare feet. There was an air of upmost sophistication about her, something that immediately drew all of Jack and Gwen's attention to her and refused to let go.

"I see I haven't quite lost my touch yet," she cooed into Ianto's ear, before pressing her full red lips against his skin, leaving a trail of butterfly kisses along his jaw line.

Dragging his eyes away from the scene with a shake of his head, Jack tried to clear his mind that had become oddly foggy. He could smell something faint in the air, something rather similar to his 51st century pheromones that could only be coming from this mystery woman.

"Who are you? How did you get in?" he asked angrily.

"My name is ancient. I wouldn't expect you to know it, let alone pronounce it. I suppose you pathetic humans would call me a vampire, but that hardly does my people justice. As for how I came to be here, my dear Ianto let me in," she replied, although she was still concentrating on Ianto, running her hands through his tousled hair and stroking his chest lovingly. "All I had to do was ask. He was pretty happy to assist me especially with what I was offering in return."

"And what was that?" Jack asked, fearing her answer.

With a smirk, the female vampire casually licked some of the flecks of blood that remained on Ianto's face, clearly taking her time and relishing the effect it was having on Jack.

"Now, I thought you were smarter than that," she replied. "I offered him my own blood, of course."

Gwen gasped, covering her mouth with her hand as her eyes widened in shock.

"But…he wouldn't. Ianto was fighting it! He wouldn't willingly become one of you!"

"Oh, dear child. He had no choice," the vampire answered as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "He was about to die. His hunger for blood was destroying him. You should have seen the delight in his eyes when I offered him a second chance at life. Never have I witnessed a soul take to drinking blood with as much vigour that this one did."

She caressed Ianto's cheeks with a look of pride in her eyes that infuriated Jack. He took a step forward, his gun pointed at the vampire, and said, "Give him back to me."

"And why would I do that?" she asked with a sharp laugh. "I haven't had such a pretty minion for so long. I'm keeping this one."

Jack cocked his gun loudly, his eyes never leaving the vampire's beautiful, pale face, but this only made her laugh even more.

"Is that supposed to intimidate me? Because it's not working." She suddenly pulled Ianto into a forceful, but passionate kiss. As they broke away, she whispered something to him that sounded suspiciously like, "Kill them."

Ianto, who'd been silent and still during this conversation, leapt into action and bounded across the Hub with a speed he'd never been capable of before. His movement were erratic and impossible to track, making it hard for Jack and Gwen to determine what he was planning.

Although Gwen was closer to him, quivering next to Jack with her hand hovering by her gun holster, Ianto shoved her out of the way and dove at Jack, growling as he did. They both tumbled to the ground while Ianto frantically tried to tear into Jack's flesh.

"Ianto! Don't!" Gwen cried, rubbing her head where it had hit the floor as she watched the two men fight.

Taking no notice of Gwen's plea, Ianto kept lunging forward, snapping viciously, as Jack tightly held onto his wrists. The Welshman refused to give up and he struggled relentlessly against Jack's grip, but he couldn't get any nearer to the Captain's neck. Instead, he resigned himself to ripping into Jack's chest and arms with his nails, cutting through Jack's flesh and leaving trails of red across his skin.

Jack could feel his strength wavering. His arms were shaking from the effort of holding Ianto back. He couldn't believe how strong the Welshman had become in such a short time.

"Get off!" he yelled, trying, but failing, to shove Ianto off of him.

"Don't bother! He won't listen to you!" the vampire called from across the Hub as she settled herself in one of the desk chairs to watch her new pet. "He only answers to me! Ianto! Kill him now!"

A low growl rumbled out of Ianto's throat and, with renewed strength, he broke free of Jack's grip and bit down hard on his exposed neck. He relished the delicious taste of Jack's blood as it entered his mouth and slipped over his tongue. It was so different from the taste of his mistress' blood, which had been so bitter as it pulled it back from the brink of death. Jack tasted strong and sweet.

Desperate for more, Ianto sank his teeth deeper, draining away the Captain's life. He could hear Jack crying out in pain, but couldn't feel him fighting back. In fact, Jack was limp beneath him, making no effort to stop the attack as he relinquished himself entirely to the vampire.

The head vampire sneered happily, inhaling the fresh smell of blood that hung heavily in the air. The glee was evident on her face as she watched Ianto draw back from Jack's lifeless body, letting him drop to the ground, blood from his wound pooling around his head.

"Well done, my pet," she cooed, running a hand through her long hair out of boredom. "Now, kill the girl so we can leave and feast on the rest of this pitiful race."

Ianto's eyes snapped suddenly onto Gwen. She was still on the floor, sobbing at the sight of her leader left dead on the cold, steel floor of the Hub. Unable to find her voice, she began to shuffle backwards on her hands and knees, silently begging Jack to get up, to live. But when he didn't move, she felt the last of her hope fade away and turned her attention back to Ianto who was creeping towards her. She feared that crazed look in his eyes and could barely breathe when the stench of blood invaded her senses, but she didn't run. Instead, she pulled out her own gun and pointed it straight at Ianto's heart.

"I'm so sorry," she spluttered, tears flowing freely down her face as she closed her eyes and squeezed down on the trigger.

The blast of the gun rattled her ear drums, but rather than watching Ianto crumble to the ground like a broken doll she blinked in confusion at her weapon. She hadn't pulled the trigger. Not yet anyway. Someone else had fired a gun. She looked up in amazement. Ianto was on the floor clutching his chest and so was the head vampire. But she was the only one who was bleeding. It looked like her chest had exploded. Leaning on his side, Jack was breathing heavily as he pointed his own gun at the head vampire with a shadow of a smile on his face.

"Jack," Gwen gasped, struggling to her feet. "Are you…"

"A vampire? No," he answered, throwing his gun to one side. "It seems I'm immune to their bites."

"That's good to know, but I was gonna ask if you're okay," she continued, crossing the Hub to stand by him side, concern clear in her shaky voice.

"Oh. I'm alright," he said as Gwen helped him up. "I've been better."

Ignoring the head vampire who was writhing in pain, Jack immediately stumbled over to Ianto, leaning heavily on Gwen's shoulder. He slowly lowered himself back down to the ground, wincing from the pain that still remained in his shoulder, and gently cupped Ianto's head in his own hands.

Ianto was still shaking and moaning while clutching at his chest as if he was the one who'd been shot. But the anger was gone. When he looked up at Jack and Gwen, his face was still white, and his eyes were still red and they darted about wildly, but an expression of fear and pain had replaced the aggression that had been there before.

He tried to shove Jack away, still adamant about protecting his mistress, and he whined pitifully when Jack wouldn't let him go.

"No…she needs me. Let me go to her. She needs me! Let me go!" His cries got gradually louder until Gwen had to clamp her hands over her ears to block out his heart wrenching sobs.

Jack simply pulled Ianto into his lap, clinging to the younger man as if he never wanted to let go.

"It's over. She's gone, Ianto. You're free," Jack murmured, stroking Ianto's damp hair to comfort him.

Curiously, Gwen turned her gaze over to the head vampire who had indeed stopped moving. Her body had already begun to fall apart, breaking up until, like the other vampires, she was nothing more than a pile of dust on the floor.

Ianto suddenly gasped, finally able to breathe comfortably for the first time that day. The redness left his eyes and he shook his head as if waking up from a dream.

"What happened?" he asked, clearly confused.

"What do you remember?" Jack questioned, not wanting to reveal anything that might scare the younger man.

"I was in the cell talking to you. There was this horrible, unbearable pain, but I can barely feel it now. Did you kill the head vampire?"

Jack smiled properly for the first time that day. "Yes. We killed it. You're going to be fine."

But something still hung at the back of Gwen's mind. Something she couldn't forget no matter how confident Jack sounded.

"Wait, Jack. You said…when you were explaining vampires to me you said that a half-vampire has to drink the blood of another person to become a real vampire. That's what happened to Ianto, right? He drank the head vampire's blood, right?"

Startled, Ianto glanced from Jack to Gwen, unable to recall himself doing this.

"I did?"

"Yes, you did," replied Jack, annoyed that Gwen felt the need to bring this particular fact up when Ianto would have been better off forgetting it. "What's your point, Gwen?"

"Well, you also said that when a head vampire is killed then all of the other vampires are killed with her and the half-vampires return to their human form. I don't mean to be rude or anything, but shouldn't Ianto be dead?"

Jack blinked. He hadn't thought of that. Ianto had indeed become a fully fledged vampire, that much was clear when he'd been attacking them. His strength and speed had definitely been inhuman at any rate and yet here he was, resting in Jack's arm, alive and glancing from Jack to Gwen in confusion.

"Alright, that is a very good point, Gwen. Well done," he replied, unable to come up with an answer.

None of them said anything. The Hub was eerily quiet for once. There was no beeping or humming coming from the many machines and even the inhabitants of the cells were silent for once.

* * *

This one took me so long to write and I'm still not completely happy with the ending. I hope you like it more than I did. Chapter four will be up as soon as I can write it. Read and review!


	5. Chapter 5

And finally we have the final chapter. Sorry it's so short, but it's more of a short summing up chapter. I just wanted to bring everything to a end.

Anyway, I've really enjoyed writing this story and hope everyone has enjoyed reading it. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews people have sent me. They were an inspiration. I might write a oneshot story to tag onto this one, a kinda of post Night Terrors story to see what happened afterwards, but I dunno when I'll get round to that.

Thanks again for reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood, but hope to one day own the heart (metaphorically of course) and soul of Gareth David Lloyd. I'm coming for you Gareth!

* * *

Jack was sitting in his dark office when Ianto finally worked up the courage to come talk to him. Neither of them particularly wanted to sleep that night after the distressing events that had taken place. They had ushered Gwen into Rhys' arms when he'd come to collect her as they didn't want her going home alone. After that, they'd spent much of their time avoiding each other and pretending to do work, anything to take their mind off what had happened.

The memories had slowly returned to Ianto as he retreated to the depths of the Torchwood archives; memories that made him ashamed to still be alive. He wasn't sure why he hadn't left and gone home, but it might have something to do with his strong belief that he'd never be able to return if he did. He was certain that Jack wouldn't want him back. Not now that he was some sort of horrible blood thirsty creature that could threaten the lives of his teammates.

As he looked at his watch for the umpteenth time, he sighed and headed back up to the Hub's control room. It was early in the morning and dawn would most likely be hitting the city above him. It was time for him to make a move and let Jack decide his fate. He discretely wiped the lingering tears away from his eyes, straightened his tie and stepped tentatively into Jack's office.

Jack looked up, but only for a moment. Instead of looking at the younger man, he tried to concentrate on the piles of paper on his desk, although he couldn't care less what they were about.

"Jack," Ianto murmured. It wasn't a question or a statement, but more of a plea for the Captain to acknowledge him.

"What happened to 'sir'?"

Even in this uncomfortable situation, Jack still found himself able to make jokes even if he couldn't look at Ianto directly. This, at least, was a good sign in Ianto's mind. It gave him hope that things weren't as lost as they first seemed.

Ianto crossed the room slowly and collapsed wearily into the chair facing Jack and the desk. He watched the Captain very closely, desperate for anything that might suggest that whatever they shared with each other was still there.

"Sorry, sir," he corrected himself.

"Ianto, I was kidding."

"Oh," said Ianto with a weak smile. He almost jumped when Jack's eyes snapped up from the work to look at him. The usually bright and vibrant blue eyes were clouded with worry as Jack gazed intently at Ianto, making the younger man feel very uncomfortable.

"How are you feeling?" Jack finally asked, his elbows up on his desk so he could rest his chin on his hands. "Any better?"

Ianto nodded stiffly. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck before replying, "Much better, thanks. Just hungry."

He tried to ignore it when Jack's eyes widened and his eyebrows vanished beneath his hairline because he knew what was coming next.

"Hungry for what?"

Ianto didn't answer. Instead, his gaze drifted to the floor. He didn't want to say it. Didn't want to accept it.

"Why am I alive?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject.

"I don't know," Jack answered, getting up from his chair. "If the information we found out is in fact true then you should be dead. But here you are."

By this time, Jack had come to stand behind Ianto, his hands on the Welshman's hunched shoulders. Ianto welcomed the comforting touch, but somehow it didn't feel right. Jack didn't rub the spot between his shoulder blades like he usually did; an action that was in no way sexual, and always managed to ease any tension and stress. Instead, it felt like Jack was holding him down as if he were a prisoner.

"Am I like Owen?" Ianto asked, twisting his head slightly to look up at the Captain.

"No. You're something very different to Owen." Jack paused before pressing a hand against Ianto's chest. It felt warm and strong over his heart, but was gone in a moment as Jack returned it to Ianto's shoulder. "You have a heartbeat, so you must be alive. And you're craving blood, so you must be a vampire."

This sent a shiver through Ianto's spine. A vampire. He'd never in his wildest dreams thought that he'd ever be associated with such a fictional, yet apparently real creature.

"The only thing I can think of, the only thing that makes even the tiniest it of sense," Jack continued as he let go of Ianto and circled around the chair so that they were face to face once more. "Is that you drank my blood."

Ianto blinked. He didn't see how that made any difference.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Jack knelt down in front of Ianto and gently caressed the younger man's cheek. "You drank my blood, Ianto. The blood of a man who can't die and even if for just a moment, for that one fleeting moment, perhaps you couldn't die either. That's what I think."

"So, I'm alive because of you?" Ianto asked.

"Seems that why," Jack answered before a familiar smile appeared on his tired face. "See? I keep my promises."

A sudden laugh escaped from Ianto's lips, a startling sound that didn't seem to fit in with the events of the night. He could already feel tears forming in his eyes.

"But I'm still a vampire. I'm still going to need blood to live and I don't want to hurt anyone. Jack, what am I going to do?"

Already prepared with an answer, Jack pressed a soft kiss against Ianto's cheek before tilting his head to one side.

"You can bite me," he said, his voice no more than a whisper.

"What?" Ianto's mouth gaped open in shock. "Jack…I couldn't."

Smiling, Jack replied, "I don't die, Ianto. You really need to get that into that pretty little head of yours. You can drink my blood as much as you like and I'll keep coming back."

Still shocked, but rather interested in the concept, Ianto eyed Jack's exposed neck hungrily. He hadn't fed since he'd killed Jack the previous night and felt positively famished. Every coherent thought fled from his mind as he lunged forward and bit down hard into Jack's skin. He heard Jack gasp, but he was more engrossed with the hot liquid that tasted so good in his mouth.

"You know, once you get used to it, this doesn't actually feel that bad," Jack joked, his voice sounding strained as he grabbed fistfuls of Ianto's shirt to stop himself crying out in pain.

Ianto pulled back, blood trickling down his chin. His eyes weren't red or wild, but they were brimming with unshed tears. He leaned forward and kissed Jack roughly, trying to express as much passion and love as he could.

"Thank you," he finally murmured as they parted and he went back to draining the Captain's sweet, warm blood.

**THE END**


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